Amaranthine (A Fairy Tail and DC Crossover)
by chello8893
Summary: Based loosely off the story of Hawkman, with wonderful Gajeel x Levy goodness and some other ships later on. Because who doesn't like a good superhero story?
1. Prologue

**Hey there! Thanks so much for checking out my very first crossover fic! This one will be a crossover between Fairy Tail and DC Comics! I'm going to be using some common characters from the DC world (or maybe not so common?) and mixing them in with the Fairy Tail characters!**

 **Now, I** ** _will_** **be taking some creative liberties with the characters, so don't freak out if a hero's costume is the wrong color or whatever. That's why it's fan** ** _fiction_** **...it allows me to do what I want with it. ;P**

 **Anyways, on to the story! I hope you enjoy it, and feedback is always welcome! Happy reading! ^_^/**

 _"Prince Khufu! Come quickly!"_

 _I rush through the sand, hearing my guard calling out to me. "What is it?" I ask. My question falls short, however, as I come over a large sand dune and am met with a strange structure. "What is it?"_

 _"We do not know, my lord," says my guard. "It appears to be some sort of vessel."_

 _Indeed, it does. The structure is incredibly strange, unlike anything I had ever seen before. "We must investigate this further. Bring it back to the palace so we may examine it more closely. A sandstorm is coming, and the vessel will be buried if it isn't moved," I tell my guard. I look at the two others in my small search party, my betrothed, Chay-Ara, and my family's prophet, Nabu, and signal that it is time to go._

 _"What do you think it is?" Chay-Ara asks me, following me as I hurry back to the palace._

 _"I do not know," I confess, shaking my head. "It could be dangerous, so I want—"_

 _"I will not be ordered away," Chay-Ara tells me, giving me a stern frown. "I wish to help you, Khufu, so please let me."_

 _"Chay-Ara," I sigh, taking her hands in mine and meeting her eyes, "I cannot risk you getting hurt. Stay away from the palace's temple until I say. Alright?"_

 _She looks unhappy, but she nods in agreement. "I expect you to stay safe as well, Khufu," she says._

 _I chuckle, kissing her hand, "I promise."_

 _Some time later, the vessel has been moved to the palace's temple, and the vessel has been opened. I stare inside of it at the strange markings written in it, and the even stranger levers surrounding a small seat._

 _"It appears to be some sort of transportation vessel," Nabu says._

 _"How is that possible?" I frown._

 _"I—"_

 _"My lord, I found something," my guard calls from inside the vessel. Once inside, I see that it is sectioned into three different rooms. As I go to my guard, Nabu inspects the markings along the inner walls._

 _"What is that?" I ask, reaching the small room my guard stood in. His eyes were wide as he stared ahead, not even glancing over at me. I follow his gaze, feeling my own eyes widen at the unbelievable sight._

 _On a small platform sat a large, metallic, stone. Only, it wasn't exactly sitting. It was_ floating. _"How is that possible?" I gasp, going closer to the object._

 _"Nth Metal."_

 _I turn to Nabu, frowning in confusion. "What?"_

 _"The walls tell of this object," he explains, "it is called 'Nth Metal' by the owners of this vessel. They must have perished in the desert, however, since there was no body within the vessel."_

 _"What does this Nth Metal do?" My guard asks, his voice unable to hide the fear he felt._

 _"It seems to grant the power of flight, from what it appears," he answers, looking at the metal. "I will want to observe it more, however, in order to determine all of its abilities." He gives me an inquiring look, seeking permission. I nod, wanting to know myself what this strange material can do._

 _"I must return to Chay-Ara now," I tell them, "we will continue this tomorrow. Explain to Hath-Set that we will be using this temple until our examination is over."_

 _"Yes, Prince Khufu," Nabu bows as I leave._

 _Within a week, the metal has been fully examined, and Nabu has even discovered how to melt it and form it into different objects. With the limited material, we are only able to create a knife, a battle glove, and a small scarab. We quickly learn that this scarab gives the holder the ability of flight, like that of a bird._

 _We also realize that the Nth Metal effects the body, containing some sort of otherworldly elements. Chay-Ara and I, spending the most time with the metal, gain strange thoughts of a different world, one so unlike our own—the world the Nth Metal and the strange vessel came from._

 _Hath-Set has also taken an ever-increasing interest in the Nth Metal, speaking often of it being a gift from the gods, one that we should entrust to him. I always deny him, though, knowing this metal isn't safe for any one man to control._

 _"Are you sure this will be alright?" Chay-Ara asks me as we walk through the dark corridors of the palace. I have decided to take the metal to one of my family's pyramids and bury it so that it cannot effect anyone else as it did Chay-Ara and me._

 _"It will be once this metal is buried," I say._

 _We slow when we approach the temple, noticing a light coming from inside. "Everyone should be in bed," Chay-Ara frowns, going forward. She reaches the room ahead of me, and a scream pierces the still night air. I run to her, but arrive too late._

 _"Hath-Set?" I ask, shocked to see him standing in front of where Chay-Ara lays on the ground, blood pooling around her in a crimson puddle. Hath-Set holds the blood-stained knife made of Nth Metal, a wick smile twisting his lips._

 _"You are unworthy of this godly element, you fool," he cackles. "Only a divine man should be able to wield it! Someone like me!"_

 _I am still frozen from shock when he plunges the knife deep into my chest, his eyes meeting mine as I sink to the floor beside my beloved Chay-Ara, already gone to this world. "We shall see each other again, my love," I whisper, touching her hand as I quickly fade into the darkness._

I sat up in bed, gasping for air as I clutched at my aching chest. I pulled away my shirt, examining the skin and sighing in relief when it's unmarked. For a moment, I had truly _felt_ that knife sink into my flesh. It felt as though my soul had been ripped from my body.

I shouldn't have been surprised. I'd had the same dream every night for over a week. Almost as if something was calling to me. _Why did that Khufu guy seem so familiar? And that woman?_ "Chay-Ara." The ancient Egyptian name rolled off my tongue as if it were made for it, flowing so easily into my ears, like I'd heard it before. My chest hurt even thinking about her heath in the dream, so I shook myself and got out of bed.

It was still early, barely even six in the morning, but I knew sleep would be unattainable until the next night, so I made a pot of coffee and turned on the television. As I poured myself a steaming cup of my bitter, liquid love, I stared at the television screen, the news cameras showing images from an attack the previous night.

"Gajeel, you awake?"

"Yeah," I called, not bothering to go to the door. My closest friend, Lily, let himself in, pouring a cup of coffee before taking a seat at my table.

"Did you hear about the attack?"

"Jose Porla has some nerve," I growled in affirmation, "comin' into _my_ city and making a damn mess of things."

"Your city?" Lily asked, amused. "Aren't you just a simple archeologist, Gajeel?"

"The same way you're just a physics professor for Magnolia University," I scoffed.

"Gray and Juvia already checked out the bank that was hit. It was a quick job. If it was Jose, he was faster than usual."

"I suppose we'd better head out then, too," I nodded. "Blondie and that speedy bastard will be showing up soon if the other two are here."

"I heard that Erza's on her way as well," Lily added, making me groan.

"They're going to destroy Magnolia."

"If Jose doesn't first," Lily chuckled. "Come on, let's get going."

We went to the basement connecting our separate houses, immediately going to our own different areas. Lily's area was cluttered with computers and scanners, and several other types of machines I probably couldn't pronounce if I wanted to.

Mine was more simple.

Weapons from different centuries decorated the walls, along with a few "keepsakes" I'd found while out in the field. Our purpose for having this little "secret base" however, was for the metal suit hidden in a secret compartment of the wall. I pulled one of the maces on the wall, revealing the compartment which held my suit.

Once fully dressed I glanced at myself in a refection from one of Lily's endless monitors. I wore silver armored boots which went to my knees, a pair of black pants tucked into them which were far too tight for my liking. Straps crossed over my chest, meeting in the middle at a circular disk, adorned with the image of a hawk—fitting, since they held in place a set of wings between my shoulder blades. The wings were large enough to support my weight, and the feathers on them were as black as the night sky. To finish the obnoxiously gaudy outfit was a helmet made of the same metal as my other armor. It fit over my face, adding even more so to the hawk appearance with the beaklike point covering my nose, and the large wing-like additions on the top at either side. It came down, covering the sides of my face as well, making sure my head was protected at least.

"I still don't see why I have to where this god-awful suit," I complained to Lily as he put his own suit on. It was even gaudier than mine, if that were possible. The exosuit was red and blue, covering his entire body, and it even had a mask which covered the upper half of his face. It fit to him as tightly as my damned pants did, making fighting slightly easier.

"Because you don't want everyone in Fiore to know who you really are, right?" He frowned, his dark skin only highlighted by the suit.

"Yeah, but it's still annoying as hell."

"You're the one who picked it," he smirked.

"No, I said I liked the Egyptian hawk God Horus. I didn't say turn me into a damned bird."

To that, he laughed, slapping me in the back below the junction of my wings. "You can't deny you like the wings."

"Just a little," I grinned.

He headed for the basement's exit, still chuckling to himself. "Well, let's get going. Hawkman."


	2. The Justice Society of Idiots

**(Sorry about deleting the other version. I goofed up...this is the right version of the chapter!)**

 **A Note before we start! I made a slight addition to chapter 1, since I forgot to add a (pretty important) detail about Gajeel's suit! In case you don't want to go back and read the chapter again, here's what the revision explains: Gajeel's suit is made out of Nth Metal. That's how he can fly and stuff, since the Nth Metal negates the effects of gravity. Sorry about that! XD**

 **And, to avoid any confusion, here's a list of characters and their superhero alter-egos!**

 **Gajeel: Hawkman**

 **Lily: The Atom**

 **Natsu: The Flash**

 **Lucy: Zatanna**

 **Gray: Green Arrow**

 **Juvia: Black Canary**

 **Erza: Green Lantern**

 **Now, onto the story! :D**

"This place is a mess," I frowned as the two of us landed in front of what used to be Magnolia's largest bank. The left side had been reduced to nothing more than smoking rubble, and the rest of the building looked close to caving in.

"About time you slowpokes showed up!" A grinning man appeared in front of Lily and me with a chuckle.

"Not all of us had our asses fried with lightening and gained the ability of super-retreat," I scoffed, smirking when he shouted in outrage.

"I've never retreated!" He snapped.

"Leave it alone, Flash," the raven-haired archer said, slinging his bow over his shoulder. "He's just jealous because _his_ abilities all come from that fancy armor, leaving him pretty much defenseless outside of it."

"What'd you just say, Robin Hood?" I growled, glaring at him. "You've got a lot of room to talk—at least I'm not wearing green tights."

"They're not tights, and I'm no damned Robin Hood!"

"I think Green Arrow-sama's outfit is wonderful," the woman standing next to him gushed, smiling fondly at him. Her blonde wig threw me off every time I saw it, being so used to the long blue waves she hid underneath it. Juvia was the city's finest D.A., and was just as fierce out of the court as she was in it. Her black suit hugged her features, and I noticed a small black collar around her neck.

"That's new," I commented, pointing to the odd little square box against her throat.

"It's my new screamer," she smiled. "It's almost twice as powerful as the last one!" Her blue eyes shined brightly from under her black mask as she spoke about her new weapon. Her speech also threw me off when she was in her suit, considering she usually spoke in third person—a habit I had never quite understood.

"Flash! I can't believe you just left me behind!"

"What kept you so long, Lucy?" Natsu asked, oblivious to her anger.

She smacked him on the back of the head, tucking a loose strand of blonde hair underneath her black wig. "You left me halfway across the city! If you were coming back here, you should have brought me along."

"You always complain when I run with you," he answered, innocently.

"I complain when you throw me over your shoulder like a sack of potatoes and _then_ run with me," she corrected, fixing the magician's hat which sat on the top of her head.

"Now that everyone's here," Lily chimed in, getting everyone's attention, "fill us in on what you've discovered so far."

"Nothing, really," Gray sighed. "The Wizard used some pretty heavy-duty magic to blow the building up like that, and we're guessing he did it from the inside."

"Why the inside?" I frowned.

"He wouldn't have risked blowing up the money he was intending to steal," Lucy explained, "so we think he got in, stole the money, then blew the wall out in order to escape."

"Seems a little risky if he was still inside," I murmured, looking again at the destroyed building. If he had been inside, he probably would have gotten hurt as well, as much damage as there was.

"He also could have done it after he had gotten out," Juvia added, "in order to cause a distraction and allow himself time to escape."

"That seems more likely," I nodded.

"So, what now?" Lily asked, looking at me.

"We need to track down Jose. If this was him, I'm sure he's got something big planned with all that money. I want to catch him before we get the chance to see what it is."

"I've been all over the city already," Natsu said, "I couldn't find him anywhere. His usual hideouts were all empty. Even his house looked like he hadn't been there in a while."

"That's strange," I said, thinking over all the possible places he could be. "If he's moved to somewhere outside the city, why would he come all the way back here to rob a bank?"

"To get our attention," Lily said. "Perhaps he wanted to make it known that he is out of hiding."

"That could explain all of the over-the-top magic he used on the bank building," Gray agreed, nodding.

"And he struck in the evening when there were only the employees inside the bank," Lucy said, "most robberies are done in the afternoon, when there's the most money in circulation within the bank."

"Damn," I snapped. "What's he up to?"

"We'll just extend our search to outside the city," Lily announced. "With the six of us, we'll track him down soon."

"Make that seven." A scarlet-haired woman smiled from underneath a green mask as she landed beside Lucy.

"Erza," Lucy smiled, "I didn't know you were coming!"

"Yeah," Natsu said, "last I heard, you were off-planet with some other lantern guys."

"I just got home a few days ago," she told him. "However, if Jose Porla is out of hiding, I can't ignore it. The Wizard caused quite a lot of destruction during his last rampage, and I can't allow that to happen a second time."

"That's all well and good," I frowned, silencing them, "but who the hell said I wanted any of you sticking your noses into my city's business?"

"Porla isn't just Magnolia's problem," Gray retorted, "he's all of our cities' problem. If he's back, we'll have to work together—just like last time."

I sighed, knowing by the nods and murmurs of agreement from everyone else that I would lose this argument. _Damn it. And I was hoping I could wrap this up quickly without anyone but Lily's help._ We had all worked together only one other time, about two years before when Jose had found some sort of magic stone that was far too powerful for him. He had ended up destroying half of the southern coast of Fiore before we'd been able to stop him. Unfortunately, we hadn't been able to capture him and he'd disappeared and gone into hiding, sitting quietly until the bank attack.

"Does that mean the JSF is back?" Natsu asked, grinning excitedly.

"We are _not_ calling ourselves that," I snapped. "We're not even a team. This is a one-time thing. As soon as we get Porla, you're all leaving Magnolia."

"I don't know," Erza smiled, "the Justice Society of Fiore does have a nice ring to it."

"And think of all we could do if we worked together all the time," Juvia added. "I think it would be very beneficial to—"

"Do whatever you want," I frowned, "but count me out of it."

"Gajeel, where are you going?" Lily asked as I marched off.

"Home. I want to check the scanners for any mention of Jose. You guys keep searching," I instructed, "and call me if you find anything." I took to the sky, my wings carrying me effortlessly. The wind in my ears helped clear my head a little. _JSF…_ I huffed. It would be a cold day in hell before I ever joined that Justice Society of _Idiots_. It sounded like some terrible teamwork exercise for superheroes, one I wanted to be no part of.

I knew it _would_ probably be a lot faster to find and subdue Jose with six other people helping me, but I had never been the best team player. I was used to fighting with Lily, so he was the only one I ever teamed up with.

 _But if Jose's back, I'm sure he's got something big planned. If it's anything like last time, I might not be able to handle it on my own._ I growled angrily under my breath, knowing there was most likely no way I could get out of working with the others.

"Gajeel!"

I slowed my pace at the sound of Lily's voice, waiting for him to catch up to me. "What?" I asked when he finally had.

"The others have gone to nearby cities to search for The Wizard. The only area not covered is the South. Since it's a large area, I thought it would be best if we went to search together."

"Fine," I sighed. "Let's just get this over with so those guys can go back to their own cities."

"You really should consider their offer," Lily said as we changed course and flew to the South. "Forming a team would be beneficial to the entire country. We could even gather others to join us and—"

"No."

"Gajeel—"

"I'm not joining a damned team, Lily," I frowned. "If we formed the Justice Whatevers then we'd have to find a main base of operations, a form of communication within the group, we'd have to set rules, and elect leaders. It all seems like a lot of hassle for something that we're all fine doing on our own as it is."

"There's a large building in the center of Magnolia that I purchased a year ago, just in case this topic ever came about again," Lily told me, casually, "so we already have a base of operations. As for communication, headsets are the easiest to have while fighting, and I've been working on a small earpiece that can withstand substantial force, ensuring it wouldn't break in the middle of battle. There's also—"

"You're serious?" I gaped at him. "You think that we should seriously form a _team_ of heroes?"

"I do," he nodded. "And the others have all agreed to it as well. All that's left to convince is you."

"Save your breath, Lily," I sighed. "I don't want any part in that train wreck."

"A fighter like you would be a great asset," he said. "Your knowledge of battle strategy and weaponry is unrivaled, and you could bring a lot to the table as a leader—"

"Wait just a damned minute," I snapped, coming to a halt. "You want _me_ to be that freak show's _leader_?"

"It would need to be voted on within the group, but I am suggesting it, yes."

"You've got to be kidding me."

"I'm completely serious, Gajeel. You have more knowledge about fighting strategy than anyone I've ever met, and you're strong. You've also been at this the longest of anyone else in the group, so you know what you're doing. If you gave it an honest chance, I think you'd agree with me."

"I'm not a leader, Lily. And I'm not this great strategist you think I am. I'm just a guy who likes to bash heads together, and I just so happen to be really good at it."

"Just consider my offer, alright?"

"Fine," I grumbled, continuing on, "but don't get your hopes up."

Lily chuckled to himself, and I frowned, knowing he thought he had won. _I'm not a leader, so of course I'm going to turn him down._ Part of me, however, knew what he said was true. I had always been good in battle, almost as if I'd had years and years of practice. Even when I first started, the movements and handling of different weapons had come easily, like second nature.

"We're here," Lily said, pulling me out of my thoughts. "Let's split up."

"Right. Meet back up on the town square in an hour."

He nodded, flying to the southern half of the city while I covered the northern half. I searched everywhere that seemed like it would be a good hiding place for Jose, but all of them were empty. I even resorted to asking the citizens if they had seen him or anyone else who looked suspicious in the area since the night before. Both searches had turned up absolutely nothing.

As I made my way to the town square an hour later to meet up with Lily, I spotted an old abandoned building that I had missed in my earlier search. _Might as well check it out,_ I thought, though I knew it'd result the same way my other searches had. Empty.

The inside of the building smelled damp and somewhat like mildew, so the ceiling probably leaked. Rodents squeaked and scurried away from the light of the doorway I stood in. I grimaced, wondering if the place would cave in on me if I went inside. Knowing I had to, I trekked farther into the old building, listening closely for any human sounds.

"It's been quite a while, Hawkman," a chuckle echoed from somewhere ahead of me. I ran towards it, pulling out my mace and holding it at the ready.

"Where are you, Porla?" I growled.

"Porla? I'm afraid you're mistaken," the voice chuckled. "The Wizard is well hidden, preparing the next step in our plan."

 _If that's not Jose, then who the hell—_ A fist came out of the darkness, meeting my jaw and sending me stumbling backwards. I immediately raised my mace, looking towards the fist. My eyes narrowed when a large man stepped out of the shadows, a wicked grin on his ugly face.

"Vandal Savage," I snarled, lunging at him.

He dodged my attack, sighing. "I go by Brain now, actually."

"Kind of exaggerating your own intelligence by calling yourself that, ain't ya?" I spat.

"Like how you're calling yourself Hawkman now?" He snickered. "You weren't as showy with the heroics in your past lives, Gajeel Redfox."

I froze, my eyes going wide in shock. "How do you—"

"It wasn't hard to figure out," he shrugged. "All of the medieval weaponry, and you so conveniently work as an archaeologist to collect them. I assume Chay-Ara is around as well?"

"Chay-Ara?" I frowned. _That's the name of the woman from my dream. How does he know about that?_

He raised an eyebrow, his lips turning up in an amused smirk. "So you haven't regained all of your memories yet."

"What the hell are you talking about?" I attacked him again, cursing when he leapt out of the way.

"It won't be any fun to defeat this incomplete version of you," he sighed, "so I think it's best if I fall back for now. If you have yet to meet Chay-Ara, then your time isn't up yet. Best not to tempt fate, wouldn't you say?"

"Savage!" I shouted, chasing after him when he retreated further into the building. He disappeared into the darkness, and I lost track of him. Cursing, I ran out of the building and took to the sky, searching for any signs of him. "Damn it!"

"Hawkman!" Lily flew towards me, a worried frown on his face. "When you never came to the square, I thought something might be wrong. What happened?"

"Vandal Savage," I growled. "He's going by Brain now. He was in that warehouse down there, but disappeared before I could catch him."

"Savage? What's he doing here?"

"Working with Jose. I don't know what they're up to, but we need to let the others know about this."

He nodded, following me when I flew in the direction of Magnolia. "Gajeel," he began after a few minutes of silence, "what happened with Sav—Brain? You seem bothered by something."

"Nothing," I lied. "I'm just pissed because both Brain and Jose have gotten away now, and we still don't know what they're planning."

"We'll find them. Whatever they're planning, we'll stop them."

I sighed, knowing there was _no way_ now I'd be able to get out of working with the others. "Might as well tell them to meet at that building you've got."

He perked up. "So you're—"

"For now, it looks like I ain't got a choice," I nodded.

"The Justice Society of Fiore is coming back together," he grinned.

"I can't believe I'm actually agreeing to be in the Justice Society of Idiots," I groaned.

He chuckled, punching me on the arm. "You might be leading that Justice Society of Idiots one day."

I rolled my eyes. " _That_ I never agreed to."

"The JSF might just convince you," he said.

"Yeah. Maybe."

 **Thanks for reading! Sorry if it's a bit slow so far; I wanted to introduce everyone and get the ball rolling on the bigger plot! I hope you enjoyed!** **And I'd love some reviews! ^_^**


	3. Ghosts of the Past

"This place is awesome, Atom!" Natsu exclaimed, running around the main conference room as nothing more than a red blur.

"How did you afford a place like this?" Lucy asked, looking at Lily. "It's perfect!"

Indeed, the building would be a good base of operations. It had once been an office building for some technology company that went out of business a few years earlier. After that, it had been completely empty. It looked completely different now, though. Lily had redone the inside, clearing a few of the offices and creating one large room in the entrance of the building. There were also just as many computers and other machines here as there were in our shared basement between our houses.

"I bought it from the previous owner at a fraction of the retail price right after the business went under. I agreed to purchase several of their devices along with the building, so we came to an arrangement," Lily explained. "So, now we not only have a base of operations, but equipment to monitor threats."

"Impressive," Erza nodded, examining a group of strange-looking computers.

"We didn't come here to look at Lily's fancy gadgets," I announced, waiting until everyone's eyes were on me before continuing, "we came because we need to track down the Wizard and Brain before they can complete whatever scheme they're working on together."

"That's pretty hard to do when we don't even know where to begin looking," Gray frowned.

"I may be able to solve that problem," Lily said. "It will take a day or two, but I believe I can hack into the kingdom's survey satellites and run that through my facial recognition program to—"

"If it works, just do it," I said, cutting him off. I didn't understand most of what he was talking about, so I trusted he knew what he was doing.

"I could probably help you with that," Gray added. "Juvia and I have done our fair share of hacking into the kingdom's online servers, so maybe we could find some information on there."

"Do it," I nodded.

"And what are we supposed to do while we wait?" Lucy asked.

"Head back to your own cities," I answered. "Once Lily and the other two find something, we'll call you. Maybe something useful will pop up in each of your cities."

"What will you be doing?" Natsu asked.

"Unlike you slackers, my line of work actually takes some physical labor. So, I'll be going back to my site this evening."

"We should all be going then," Erza told us as the green ring on her finger made a loud beeping noise. "We have duties elsewhere that we must attend to while we wait." Before anyone could agree, she flew off.

"I wish I could go to another planet and kick some alien ass!" Natsu complained. "Erza gets all the fun."

"You'd end up causing a planetary war," Lucy smirked.

"Or just _destroy_ the planet," Gray mumbled.

"What'd you say, ya green tights wearin' bastard," Natsu growled.

"For the last time, they're not tights, damn it!"

"Come on," Lucy sighed, grabbing the back of Natsu's red suit and dragging him from the room. "See you guys in a couple days!"

"I'll be leavin' too," I told Lily, Gray, and Juvia. "I need to pack for the flight."

"You're flying all the way there?" Lily asked.

I nodded. "I was supposed to catch a plane this afternoon so I'd be there bright and early tomorrow morning, but that didn't happen thanks to Jose and Brain. To make up for lost time, I'll be flying there myself."

"Flying where?" Juvia asked.

I grinned. "Egypt."

After sneaking back into the basement, I rushed upstairs and grabbed my suitcase. It wouldn't be the longest amount of time I'd ever flown, but I'd be exhausted by the time I got to the airport. _I should arrive the same time my flight was supposed to,_ I thought to myself, sneaking back out through the basement and taking to the sky.

As predicted, I landed just as my plane did, and I quickly found a deserted area to put my wings safely away and work myself into the crowd of un-boarding passengers. I'd learned the hard way that it was easier to sneak into the airport and go through customs with the other passengers than it was to simply sneak into the country and go straight to whatever site I was on. _At least this way I'm cleared through the proper channels and have my passport stamped._

As soon as I made it out of the airport, I caught a taxi back to my hotel. I had enough time to unpack and get some breakfast before I was supposed to meet my colleagues out in the field. I tied back my hair before putting on a hat to shield my eyes from the sun, making a mental note to myself to get the damn stuff cut when I made it back home.

"About time you got here," my colleague, Rogue, grinned. "How was the flight?"

"I hate planes," I grumbled. "Too damn crowded, and the attendants never leave you alone to sleep."

"That's why you should just move out here until we leave site," our other colleague, Sting, told me. "Then you wouldn't have to fly back out here so many times a year."

"I already told ya I ain't movin' out here," I frowned. "It's too damn hot."

"Don't be a wuss," he chuckled.

"What'd you say—"

"As much as I love listening to you two bicker," Rogue interrupted, "Gajeel still hasn't met our newest addition."

"Newest addition?" I asked.

"Oh yeah!" Sting wiggled his eyebrows at me, a cheeky grin on his face, "the Smithsonian from the capital sent a specialist in ancient Egyptian languages out to give us a hand on some hieroglyphs we found that aren't familiar. She got here a few hours before you did this morning."

"She?"

"That's right." His eyebrows did another irritating wiggle, one which I responded with a smack to the back of the head. "Ouch," he grumbled, adjusting his hat.

"She's down in the ruins now," Rogue said. "Near the back of that room we dug up a few weeks ago, the one you found those markings in."

"I should probably go introduce myself, is what you're sayin'," I nodded, heading that way. _Damn those Smithsonian bastards…sending someone to_ my _site without telling me first. Especially when I didn't ask for a specialist. I needed a few more days to examine those markings, then I'm sure I could have figured out what they meant._ I always did, somehow. Even if the markings looked foreign at first, eventually, they always made sense and I could understand them.

A torchlight up ahead told me I was getting close. "Hey," I said, unable to clearly see the specialist from where I was. She turned as I came closer, and I found myself stopping in my tracks.

The air all left my lungs as large hazel eyes met mine. She was incredibly small, barely coming up to my chest, but something in her stature seemed strong. Blue tresses, most of which were held back by a black ribbon, framed her face. Shadows from the torch on the wall danced across her sun-tanned skin as she stared at me in silence.

"Chay-Ara." The words were out of my mouth before I could stop them. I didn't know why I had even said them. I had never met this woman before, she was a complete stranger, yet something about her seemed so _familiar_.

"Pardon?" She asked, snapping me out of whatever stupid daze I'd been in.

"Gajeel," I said. "I'm Dr. Gajeel Redfox, the head of this site. Sorry that you came all this way, but I didn't ask for a specialist. Give me a few more days with those markings and I'll—"

"I've already deciphered them," she told me. Her voice carried through the air, hitting something deep within me and sending a sharp chill down my spine. _Why does she seem so familiar?_ I knew we'd never met—there was no way I'd forget someone like her—but I couldn't shake that feeling.

Scolding myself for acting like some damned middle schooler, I put a hard scowl on my face and met her eyes. "You've already deciphered them?" I asked, skeptically. She'd only been there a few hours, there's no way she could have finished.

"That's right." She nodded, handing me a piece of paper. "Those are the markings, next to their corresponding meanings. A few have several different meanings depending on the context, but I'm confident in the results I got."

I read her notes, frowning down at the barely legible writing on the paper. My frown deepened when I read the words closely. Looking back up at her, I pointed to the paper, "you're sure about this?"

"Of course," she said. "I recognize the language, so I'm sure that's the translation."

"What the hell," I muttered under my breath. _That can't be right._

"Is something wrong, Dr. Redfox?"

"No," I lied, handing her the paper. I stared up at the markings, seeing the pattern in the symbols that matched the one she had interpreted. _"Our beloved Prince, may he now rest with the Gods along with his betrothed, a woman of unspeakable beauty and grace. Prince Khufu. Princess Chay-Ara."_

Why did those names keep popping up? First my dream, then Brain, and now the ruins. _This can't be a coincidence…but what the hell does it mean?_

"I never properly introduced myself," the specialist said, interrupting my thoughts. She held out her hand, smiling. "I'm Dr. Levy McGarden. Ancient Linguist Expert from the Smithsonian Museum in the capital Crocus. It's a pleasure to meet you, Dr. Redfox."

"Gajeel," I said, taking her extended hand. When our skin made contact, a sudden pain erupted in my head, going from one temple to the other, throbbing until it was difficult to see. I could tell by her pained gasp that she was experiencing something similar, and we each pulled our hands away.

"Damn it," I growled, pinching the bridge of my nose and clamping my eyes shut. _"Prince Khufu, welcome home."_ I gasped, sagging against the wall as my legs felt too weak to support my weight. Images flashed across my mind, appearing to be memories, but ones I had never experienced. _What's going on?_

Finally, the images came to a halt, ceasing their dizzying assault on my mind. All that was left was one final image. A woman. Her long dark hair was pulled back with a glittering golden crown, a chain of beautiful gemstones hanging from either side, framing her face. Dark eyes were lined with black liner, and her lashes gently kissed the dark skin of her cheeks every time they were lowered. She was wearing a beautiful gown, adorned with gems the same blues and greens as the ones in her crown.

 _"Chay-Ara, my love, we mustn't tell the others of this knowledge the alien metal has given us. It would worry the people; they wouldn't understand."_

 _She smiled at the man speaking, taking his hands in her much smaller ones. "Khufu, you needn't worry so much. I am no fool. This secret was already one I had prepared to keep. Just as I have all the others." Her smile was playful now as she stepped towards the man and her lips gently touched his in a brief kiss._

 _"The others are more dangerous," the man told her, a worried crease in his eyebrows as he frowned. "Our wedding is still six days away. If anyone finds out we've been meeting like this, you'll be put to death."_

 _To that, she smiled at him. "Then we'll just have to continue keeping our secrets. Gajeel."_

"Gajeel!" My left cheek suddenly stung in pain, causing me to open my eyes. Rogue was kneeling over me, his face full of worry as he frowned down at me. "Gajeel, are you alright? What happened?"

I was laying on the ground. After collapsing against the wall, I must have passed out, but I couldn't remember why. "I don't know," I sighed, shaking my head.

"Let's get them out of here and back to the tent," Sting said from behind Rogue, "if it's something down here, we shouldn't stay here long, either." As he walked by us, I noticed the specialist—Levy—was leaning against him, her face incredibly pale.

"She okay?" I asked, refusing Rogue's offers of assistance as I stumbled my way out of the tunnels and back to the surface. I actually embraced the heat, thankful that it helped to chase that annoying chill in my spine away.

"We don't know," Rogue answered. "She was laying on the ground beside you when we came down to check on you. I don't know how long you were unconscious, but the two of you kept mumbling something in a different language, it sounded like."

"Here's some water," Sting was telling Levy as he handed her a bottle from the cooler.

"Thank you," she said, accepting it and downing half of its contents before I had even taken a seat.

"We'll be fine," I told Sting and Rogue, motioning for them to go. "Keep working. I'll let you know if we need you."

Nodding, the two left, leaving Levy and me alone. I looked over at her, watching as she finished off her water. "Here," I said, handing her mine.

"I'm fine now, thanks," she said, shaking her head. "Are you alright?"

"I guess," I shrugged. "I'm still tryin' to figure out what the hell happened."

"Perhaps there was a gas buildup down in the tunnels," she suggested. "It could have been released with the digging, or it could have been slowly leaking out of some crevice while we were down there."

"I don't think so."

"Then what are _your_ ideas?" She asked, annoyed. "Two people don't just pass out for no reason."

"Our hands," I said.

She looked at me, frowning in confusion. "Our hands?"

"It happened when we shook hands. A pain shot right though my temples, worse than any migraine I've ever had, and I got dizzy. My legs felt weak, too. I think that's when I went down."

Her frown deepened as she stared down at the empty bottle clutched tightly in her hands. "The same thing happened to me."

"Although," I frowned, my thoughts returning to that strange vision I'd had, "maybe there _was_ something down there. I had a weird dream."

"About Khufu and Chay-Ara?" She asked, returning her eyes to mine.

I nodded. "How did you—"

"If they were talking about some strange alien metal, then it was the same one I had."

"How is that possible?"

She opened her mouth to speak, but immediately closed it and shook her head. "It isn't. Pure coincidence, caused by the notes we had just shared before."

"Where are you going?" I asked as she got to her feet, brushing sand off her legs.

"To get back to work," she replied. "I was given an assignment by the Smithsonian, and I intend to complete it. What occurred just now was just a hazard of the job, so we mustn't let it hinder our work. If you'll excuse me," she left the tent, leaving me alone to stare after her in shock. _What's up with that woman?_

She had completely brushed off what had just happened, when we both _knew_ it wasn't something we should have been brushing off. Whatever had just happened, it proved those lingering thoughts that I was somehow connected to the tiny blue-haired woman. _But how?_

 **Yay! We finally met Levy! ^_^ Thanks so much for reading! (Also, reviews give me nourishment. 3)**


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